From Modern to Farmhouse | A File Cabinet Hack

For the past four or so years, all of Charlotte’s craft supplies have lived in a big plastic tub on the top shelf in her wardrobe.

Aside from the fact her room has limited storage space which means we can’t be too picky about where things are housed, they were stowed away somewhat out of reach so that I could be the one in charge of when and where crafting would take place – I think we all know, or can imagine, just how prudent three year olds are with paint and glitter!

Though with Charlotte maturing, starting school and showing a growing interest in all things craft, it was clear she needed her supplies closer at hand.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to fit any more furniture in Charlotte’s teensy room though when I saw this sweet cabinet at Officeworks it seemed just right. It’s nice and compact yet still bursting with storage space. Seriously, this thing is like Mary Poppin’s handbag! I even made my sister, who also has a tiny house, go out and buy one too and she was equally as impressed by its TARDIS-like qualities!

Of course, me being me, I couldn’t leave well enough alone so decided to give it a little makeover. I know that altering a brand new piece of furniture may seem weird though the glossy black finish teamed with the shiny silver handles was just a tad too harsh and modern for Charlotte’s cottage style room. So, this is what I did…

STEP 1 SAND

Using course grit sandpaper I thoroughly scuffed the entire cabinet. This gives the surface “tooth” which allows new paint to adhere well.

Now, I could have stopped here as sanding does create a nice distressed look, though it was just a tad too “scratchy” for my liking. Plus, it was difficult to get around the handles evenly so the distressing looked a little unnatural and linear in some areas.

Note: I chose not to remove the handles because they are riveted on. Removing them would have meant breaking the rivets and probably having to replace the handles. For ease and the sake of ‘making the most’, I decided to keep them.

STEP 2 CLEAN

To remove any residual dust or grime I thoroughly wiped down each surface using isopropyl alcohol.

I’ve used isopropyl alcohol to clean metal prior to spray painting in the past and find it helps provide a fantastic, long-lasting bond.

STEP 3 PAINT

I gave the entire cabinet two – three light coats of chalkboard spray paint.

Ordinarily I would have removed the drawers though this time around I decided to keep them in place. And it worked really well! To keep the finish consistent I did pull each drawer out, just to the end of the inner lip, and spray painted around all the edges.

As soon as the cabinet was coated with the chalkboard paint I knew it was going to look cool when finished. Phew! It instantly lost its modern edge and became all vintage-y.

I love the matte finish with that slight graphite note.

STEP 4 SEASON

To finish, I lightly rubbed the entire cabinet with chalk before dusting it off again. This creates that soft, multi-tonal look you see on old chalkboards. It’s wonderfully textural and grungy and the gentle grey is a great neutral.

Oh, and don’t worry, it’s not dusty or anything to touch. The texture in the chalkboard paint holds the residual chalk dust in place.

STEP 5 DONE!

Seriously, that’s it! And I’m so in love with this easy transformation!

To complete things I added some aged paper labels to the handles.

The cabinet came with generic plastic castors which I chose not to attach. I contemplated adding vintage wheels instead though decided I quite like it sitting flush on the floor. Plus, it doesn’t need to be moved around so wheels aren’t really required anyways.

As mentioned above, the chalkboard paint knocked-back the modernity of the glossy metal beautifully and now the cabinet suits the overall vintage scheme of Charlotte’s room perfectly.

I was unsure how the handles would look being painted to match the cabinet itself. I thought they might get a little lost however the labels provide just the right accent.

Here’s a close-up pic to show the texture and variation of the chalkboard paint…

So yum!

As with all of the projects I complete for Charlotte’s room, this one was tricky to photograph due to the tightness of the space. No jokes, at one stage I was being harassed by dangling dresses as I stood inside the wardrobe to take some of the pics! The things we I do.

I actually have a matching cabinet with five small drawers which I plan to sit on top of this one. It will house Charlotte’s Lego and create a nice tall bank of drawers. Unfortunately, it will be too tall to sit beneath the lowest wall shelf so I have to move them all over a bit. It’s not a hard job though I keep putting it off.

When I do work up the motivation it will be the final project before this room is complete. Yay! Can’t wait to share the full reveal.

Once agan, so cool Kristine. And I love seeing that little pic of Charlotte in her space. Too precious. I’ve actually been looking for something like this to use for puzzle storage and just love what you have done. Thanks for the inspiration.

LOL, sadly there’s plenty I can’t do Dawn!
More than happy to try and help with design dilemmas (they are fun!). I often receive questions via email and I try my best to respond to them all. Do you think I should create some kind of segment for my blog?
x

Got ya. Decorative vintage style paper isn’t too hard to find though it can be expensive – especially if you need to buy a full pack. Another option is to purchase one sheet of scrapbooking paper and trim it down to fit in your printer.
A different approach is to search online for a free high resolution digital background (that’s what I did) then copy and paste it into your document and type your text on top. Just have a look on Google for something like “free high resolution paper textures” or “free vintage paper backgrounds” etc. If you have a good quality colour printer this is an easy option.
Yet another option is to tea/coffee stain your own paper prior to printing onto it. This is super simple. Just mix up some strong tea/coffee in hot water, place your sheet of paper on a baking tray then pour the mixture over the top. Once it has the deepness of colour you’re after, pour off the excess mixture and allow to dry. You can repeat if desired or splash it with a more concentrated mixture of tea/coffee to achieve more variation. Once completely dry you can iron the paper if it seems too crinkled or wavy.
Hope this helps :)

I REALLY REALLY want to make this..but I am from the US and there is no office-works store here! Could you give me the dimensions though to see what I could find…although it’s those small top drawers that make it so special!! Thank you! Cindy

Hi Cindy
This one is quite petite – 28cm W x 40cm D x 63cm H. When I first saw it in store amidst the “regular sized” file cabinets I was like, “Is this a file cabinet for garden gnomes?”. LOL! Though when I got it home it was just right.
Check out Ikea. I think they have some similar ones. Otherwise, Google around. And remember, if you find something with finger pulls or hand cut-outs though you’d prefer handles check to see if the drawers can be turned around.
Kristine

Love it, just gorgeous. I also have this cabinet and a smaller unit in white for the kids’ craft and scrapbooking supplies – I also couldn’t believe how much they swallowed up when I packed them! Very TARDIS-like indeed!

I have one of these in turquoise in my craft room and it screams new amongst all the other vintage pieces in there. I love what you have done with yours. But then, I love everything you do…I am just not as good at getting things done. I might make an exception for this one.

Lol, oh Robyn, haven’t you noticed I pretty much only get one – two simple things done per month? Trust me, you do not want to see a photo of my kitchen which we haven’t touched in the ten whole years we’ve been in this house!
I was contemplating buying a turquoise one any leaving it as is though Charlotte’s bed is a soft blue and I thought it might be too much. I also liked the navy one they have though it’s metallic so a bit sparkly for me.
You should def make an exception and get this project done – sooooo quick and easy.
:)

To create the same look and function as I have? To be honest, I’m not certain Gwen (though probably not). I have never tried to season or write on ‘chalk paint’ with chalk. It might work.
That said, of course you can paint over metal with chalk paint in just the same way you can with almost any paint, though can you create the same grungy, multi-tonal, graphite look as seasoned ‘chalkboard paint’? And can you write or draw on ‘chalk paint’ with chalk like you can ‘chalkboard paint’? Like I said, I’m not certain!
Perhaps I should do an experiment and post about it?

curious as to how well the paint held up on the handles? I am right in the middle of this project on my own file cabinets and have he handles all taped up for that reason. However, I’m now wanting to paint the silver metal handles!? Thoughts ASAP please!

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